May designated Haitian Heritage Month in New York State
Haitian-American Democratic legislator Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn says the New York State Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution that she introduced in formally designating May as Haitian Heritage Month statewide.
Speaking to the chamber, Assemblywoman Bichotte Hermelyn — the first Haitian American woman elected in New York City — noted the importance of “Haitian Heritage Month commemorating the heart and soul of the people of Haiti in New York, and our home country, Haiti.”
“New York is a symbol of freedom to people worldwide, and Haiti was the first free Black nation in the western hemisphere,” said Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn.
She said Haitian Creole is one of the top 10 languages spoken in New York City, and that New York City has the largest concentration of Haitians in the United States, as well as the oldest established Haitian communities of the country.
The assemblywoman said also of vital importance is celebrating “Haitian history and culture as a beacon of historical freedom,” stating that Haiti is the first independent Black republic in the world.
“The designation of Haitian Heritage Month also commemorates Haitian heritage and culture, including the nation’s notable leaders like Jean Jacques Dessalines, who defeated Napoleon and the French colonists at the Battle of Vertières in 1803; General Toussaint L’Ouverture, who commanded his revolutionary army to victory; and female revolutionaries like Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière – who fought as a soldier in the Indigenous army – and Catherine Flon, a nurse, who is credited with crafting the independent Black Republic of Haiti flag in 1803; and Jean Baptiste Dusable, the first settler of Chicago, also known as the ‘father of Chicago,’” Bichotte Hermelyn said.
She said other notables include Jean-Michael Basquiat, one of the defining artists of the 20th century — and Jackson Georges, a painter — both Haitian — as well as modern day leaders like Naomi Ōsaka, who has been ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association; Claudine Gay, Harvard University president, and the first person of color and the second woman to hold that role; and Karine Jean-Pierre, who serves as the White House Press secretary and is the first Black and LGBQT person to hold that role.
Other Haitian holidays recognized by the state include Haitian Flag Day and Haitian Unity Day, which are celebrated on May 18.
“Although this has not been an easy time for Haitians, we remain resilient,” said Bichotte Hermelyn, noting the recent earthquakes, pandemic and political turmoil affecting Haiti.
She also said that Haitians are the largest segment from the Black Diaspora serving as healthcare workers – “a great number of whom served on the frontline during the worst days of the pandemic – as doctors, nurses, and home health care aides.”
“As the first Haitian-American woman from New York City to serve in Albany as a state legislator, and as a proud resident of Little Haiti Brooklyn in Assembly District 42, which recently welcomed a train station rededication, now named ‘Little Haiti-Newkirk’ – where the surrounding streets are named after our Black revolutionaries, I thank you all for supporting this recognition of our culture,” Bichotte Hermelyn told the State Assembly.
